Life's great journey is made up of day by day delights.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Moving on...


As I stated a few blogs back, I had visited my home church and got that nice warm, fuzzy feeling inside. The reason for the visit and not the stay is because  I got married and moved to my husband's home, which moved me far from there. Eric's home church is 30 seconds from our house. Literally. 30 seconds. Of course it would make sense that we would go his church. Right? Although I knew I should join his church a long time ago I couldn't bring myself to do it. I missed "home" so much and I compared "home" to the new place all the time. I prayed about it a lot and finally, once I let go and let God, I knew where I needed to be. Yesterday, I became a member of a new church family that welcomed me in with loving arms and encouraging smiles. My new pastor's wife also talked to me about helping out with the missions conference in a few weeks. It feels so nice to feel I could be used somewhere and that she sought me out for an opportunity. Although I will always miss my home church and that "family", I am excited about starting at a new church with my husband. It feels like we are more complete now that we are both members of the same congregation. I'm so thankful the Lord softened my heart and worked on me. I just wish I hadn't been so stubborn, thinking that I had known best...because seriously?!? When do I ever really know best? I felt the Lord knocking at my heart a few months ago about joining that church but I always said, "Just a little more time.....maybe in a few weeks....not now." I could have experienced this peace a lot earlier if I had just said, "Yes, Lord."

Saturday, August 28, 2010

A Heart That is Overflowing...

I am truly blessed. Even when I am silly and (quite frankly) stupid, God still loves me and takes care of me. I can't understand it. I cannot tell you why beyond the fact that He loves me  And when I sit and really think of His love for me my heart overflows with praise. Although no one likes struggles and no one enjoys pain, there is something so sweet about coming to the Lord kind of battered & bruised from life and having Him take care of you. And in turn having those moments of pure praise for the Savior....it just makes me pray that I feel this way more on a daily basis and not just when I'm in the recovery room of life. I personally love old, old hymns. Rarely do I invest my listening time into contemporary Christian music (it's just not where my heart is) but sometimes I do come across a song or a singing group that tug at my heart. One of those groups is Selah and two of those songs are "Wonderful, Merficul Savior" and "Before the Throne of God Above." They bless my heart and I encourage you to share in that blessing by clicking on these links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiVvHxgHL5Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUK2Dx5RkY

I also encourage you to have a time of devotion just on your face before a mighty and holy God, giving Him praise! He deserves it more than anyone or anything and the joy He provides in return is amazing!

PSALM 147:1
"Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely."

Monday, August 23, 2010

A few simple pleasures

Simple pleases.......
#1. THOMAS' BAGEL THINS
I love bagels! I try to stay away from them, though, because they are sooo filling and so carbolicious & calorie packed. That ugly little fact is quite frustrating when sometimes all I want is a bagel with some cream cheese....schmear as some call it. Just yesterday I found a possible solution to my "problem." THOMAS' BAGEL THINS! They are delish! And better than being delicious, they are only 110 calories. Now, I can get my craving satisfied without the extra 160 calories which are in a normal Thomas' bagels. I even found that I can do without the cream cheese because hey! I went without the extra calories so why add more fat?? I highly recommend you check them out! Here....
http://thomasbagelthins.com/

#2. BROADWAY NAILS
Along with my love of bagels, I also love having my nails done. My natural nails have never been the type that grow long and strong on their own. Mine break, chips, have ridges, blah blah blah. Although I love having lovely nails I hate paying $30-$40 to get them done. I also hate the after effects. Once the fakes are gone my natural nails look like they've been through a war-zone. So how do I get the look I love without paying the price and having my nails royally abused? Broadway Nails/Natural Nails. Why do I love these? Let me tell you...
                         a. They are cheaper. $6.00 for a box of nails compared to paying $30-40 in a salon (+ tip)!
                         b. They are much more gentle to my natural nail than the salon version. Once removed, my
                         nails are not so much in need of a little extra TLC.
                         c. These lovely little nails take a lot less time to apply! It can be fun to sit in a salon chair and
                         feel a little pampered....but the time it takes to wait, have the nails put on, drying time, etc.-
                         it's just not worth it to me.
                         d. Just like their application time being minimal, their removal time is also much shorter in
                         comparison to the salon version. With a little work I can pop them right off! That does not
                         mean they don't stay on very well. Sure, one may fly off here or there but that can always be
                         corrected with a little nail glue. ;-)
                         e. I think they look a lot more natural than what you get in the salon. I have sooo many of
                         my customers, friends, and family asking me if my nails are real or even better, they ask me
                         where I had them done. I love seeing the shock on their face when I say, "Oh these are fake
                         fakes. $6 from Wal-Mart, put on in 10 minutes."
CHECK THEM OUT!
http://www.broadwaynails.com/products/natural-nails/natural-nails-wear-alone-or-with-polish/

#3 ADDICTION
FINE! I admit it. I'm an addict. Totally and completed addicted. To what you may ask??? Jane Austen and all of her wonderful works. My particular favorite is "Pride and Prejudice." That novel always tends to suck me in. There is something about reading Jane Austen on a beautiful day...or even better...a cloudy day! A nice, cloudy, rainy day. Something about that makes me feel so calm and happy. The level of felicity I experience when reading the conversations between THE Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett is beyond compare. Thankfully I have several friends and family members that share my obsession! Recently, my mother turned me on to a new Jane Austen website crammed full with interesting informations, forums, etc. So if anyone out there in blogland is a fan of the great Ms. Austen, I encourage you to look this up!
http://www.pemberley.com/

Hope you enjoyed reading about a few of my simple pleasures. But now I ask, what are some of yours? Have a favorite book? Snack? Song? Anything! I'd love to know! :-)
                    

Monday, August 16, 2010

Weekend recap

Saturday, after work, Eric and I went to McAllister's for dinner which was nice. I got a break from cooking, we had the chance to get out of the house and we were able to enjoy one another's company. After that we went to Home Depot looking at porch lights. Our current light is totally functional but completely hideous. So we made our way through the various aisles of lighting fixtures then moved on to new mail boxes and numbers for the front of the house. Nothing was purchased but ideas were sparked. We also looked for seat cushions but found NONE. Why do we need seat cushions you may ask? Read on, read on!

Sunday morning was especially sweet for me because Eric and I went to my home church. And when I say home church I mean home church. As soon as I walked in the doors I felt like I was home. All of the members there are like my second family. I went from being there 3 days a week (Sun. morn, Sun. night, Wed. night) to visiting every once in a while which has been very, verrrrrrrrry hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change the fact that I got married and am now at a different church but it is just difficult to not be in that same fellowship on a regular basis. I have shared many tears and much more laughter at that church, I have grown spiritually, I have been involved in amazing ministries, I have met wonderful people with a true heart to serve the Lord......the thought of having to start all over at a new church, to rebuild, makes me feel very weary. Moving on (or else I will cry....again! haha), it was so wonderful to see everyone! I was able to interpret the music portion of service and heard a great message! I walked away feeling very blessed! If you think of it, pray that God would soften my heart to the idea of a new church. After church we did a few errands then we packed up our seat cushions for a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class. We bring the seat cushions because the chairs provided are so horribly uncomfortable and we have to spend two hours in them. The class is very encouraging and very informative! Eric and I are safe & sound financially but really want to secure the way we handle money and make a way for a productive future. A future not bogged down by debt and worry over money like so many in our culture do today. Through the next few months I plan to pass on some of what I learn. Well that was my weekend wrapped up in a big nutshell! How did you spend your weekend? Do anything out of the ordinary?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

My bedtime blues

I have a sleeping emergency! What's the emergency??? I am getting hardly any sleep. Ever. I catch a few z's here and there but most of the night I am tossing and turning....tossing....and turning.....tossing....and turning....Wow. Just gave myself motion sickness. Obviously, you get the idea. I am so restless. The source of the problem is still kind of unknown.
Get to bed early? Check.
Plenty of chill out time before I hit the sheets? Check.
Comfy, clean bed? Check.
Wonderful hubby to cuddle with? Check.
I am not eating right before bed. I'm not thinking of anything to stress myself out. What I do notice is that I tend to dream of a lot of social interactions, typically work related. I will go through a whole sales scenario with a customer in my "dreams." I put that in quotes because it's not like a dream where I am sleeping but it's not a day dream either because I'm not exactly awake. It's like I am stuck in the purgatory of sleep mode!!! I don't know how to fix this but I want to because I am often exhausted due to lack of slumber and I am driving my husband crazy with all of the moving around I am doing. Does anyone have any tips??? Preferably a tip that doesn't involve me going to a doctor and having a sleep test done. I would love any advice because this whole lack of sleep thing is not a day to day delight.....it's more like a night to night horror!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Computer complications

Ok, let me try this for the 5th time....

Where are the pictures you ask?? I have them, I promise! Improvements have been made in the ol' homestead. Improvements on the computer...well, not so much. I am seriously beginning to think that Technology is out to get me. Any computer I touch runs slow and will not me upload ANYTHING(pictures included). Sooooo frustrating! But I will keep trying....and keep trying....and keep trying, even if it kills me. Ha! Ok so that's not true.

Since there is a plan in action for my demise in all things electronically related, I will try to explain the improvements and changes as opposed to sharing a visual....yet. You won't get me Mr. Computer! MUA-HA-HA-HA!

The other day Eric and I spent all day cleaning his office and the guest room and then swapped both rooms. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE!! It's like the house is now the way it was always meant to be. We took all of Eric's amps out of the living room (YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and put them in the office/man cave. All of his sports decor and keepsakes are hung on the walls, files are organized and now in the filing cabinet (in place of the books he stacked in there), guitars have found a new home there, and the room looks wonderful. The twin bed was moved to the "new" guest room. Room was dusted and vacuumed completely. Eric was so pleased and kept saying, "I think this is the first time this room has been dusted or cleaned." I was a little horrified by that (and the filth) but he looked so cute when he said it that I let the horrified look fade from my face. Many changes still to be made in the guest room area....so excited to see it come to fruition. Moving on.....

First, I started some shopping at Kohl's. I really don't want pieces that hundreds of other people have. I like things to be more unique but I'm sorry, when you see signs every where reading "50 to 80% OFF!" that will pull any shopper in. Plus, Kohls has always been a happy place for me. While there I purchased a set of two white shelves (guest room) for $12.99 which is a good deal, I think. Usually, one shelf alone is around  $12.99. I also bought a simple white pillow sham and matching bed skirt (also for the guest room). By the back door area, Eric had a really random, 4 x 6 piece of crumbling carpet and was using it as a rug/mat. I understand that is a small thing but I was OVER it. I bought a brown, green, and white striped rug for $4.99. It is nothing to make you, my loyal readers, envious but in comparison to what was there before....this thing is AMAZING. Did I splurge while at Kohls?....me? no.....ok, fine. I did. I bought a blue glass candle holder and candle. Don't judge so quickly. Both pieces were 50% off and have added such a nice touch to our living room. You will love it when I finally post pictures, I am sure of it!

From there a lot of my shopping was random. Fitting for my personality, I suppose. I bought a side table at Christmas Tree Shoppe for $30 (guest room) and assembled it all by myself. It looks great, if I do say so myself...ok so I screwed one piece of wood on backwards. Details, details. Wal-mart actually came threw on quite a few trips. While at Wally-World I purchased two lamps and lamp shades. Can I just say the Better Homes and Garden brand there is great? I got a valance for the window in the kitchen along with a simple $3 curtain rod. I got a cute white curtain rod and sheer white panels for the guest room. I also got some new sheets for the guest room...I think that finishes off my W.M. purchases. And then of course there is Target (cue the Hallelujah chorus)!! That place truly makes me happy. I can easily spend two hours there. Does that make me weird?? From there I bought a new pillow for the couch that was desperately needed. My mom and Dad bought me a comforter there for the guest room as a small belated wedding present. It is so simple and pretty! I love it and it has totally inspired me to do some neat things in the guest room! I am so grateful I didn't have to spend on that either. There has been a runner at Target that I have drooled over for about a year and I finally got it! I wish it were slightly longer but other than that it makes me instantly happy as soon as I walk in the front door! Words can't adequately describe it so I will just save pictures to cover that for me. Mom had purchased a picture from Kohls last year for her house but ended up not liking it in her space. I LOVED it and could totally picture it in my home with Eric. Well Mom ended up not returning it and giving it to me. It is on a wall in our living room and it adds so much. I am, again, truly thankful and very happy to see it there. From Target, I also bought new knobs for our bathroom and hallway closet. Again, my description = nothing, picture = worth a thousand words.
So as you can tell, I have been a busy little bee buzzing around the house making improvements where I can. There is still much to be done (i.e. our bedroom, bathroom, some major painting.etc.) but at least right now I can rest a little more easily knowing I am not still living in a disorganized bachelor pad. What makes me even more happy is that Eric loves EVERYTHING! Making our house a home....what a wonderful day by day delight!!